


Broken wings

by Sydney_Castiel



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Asexual Character, Climbing Class, Depression, Eventual Smut, Graphic Description, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Pining, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence, Wendigo, Wendigo Josh, climbing trash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 10:54:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10216418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sydney_Castiel/pseuds/Sydney_Castiel
Summary: Chris can't deal with the guilt that he's the reason Josh is dead. With the wendigo's gone it wouldn't be that bad of an idea to go back to the mountain and look for his friend's body so the Washington family can hold their son a proper funeral, right?Except Mike want's come along and everything doesn't go as expected





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm new to the Until Dawn shipping game. I recently replayed the game, twice, and I rekindled my love for it. I also discovered a few ships that could totally work. Hurrah for bromance! 
> 
> anyway, enjoy you nerds <3

His chest hurt. It felt like a million tiny animals were trying to crawl their way through. Chris let out a pained groan and jolted up from his sleep.His blonde hair was deshelved and his glasses were crooked on his face. He didn't remember going to sleep.

He felt sick and weird all over. He shouldered off his jacket that he for some reason was still wearing because the room was unbearably hot. He pushed himself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, wretching out all of his stomach contents into the toilet until he was dry heaving.

The pain subsided eventually, Chris didn't know how long he sat on the bathroom floor, but when he finally stood up he felt cramped and gross.

This was how he spent most of his mornings since the evening on Blackwood mountain.

Since the evening he couldn't save Josh.

His dreams were riddled with images of his friend crying out for help, accusing him of not saving him and Chris would watch over and over again as he friend was torn to shreds by the creature. He'd try to scream but every time he'd open his mouth all that would come out was a maniacal laugh.

That's what it was last night and the night before. Sometimes he would dream of his father smiling at him as they would fish on a bright sunny morning. Those were the nights Chris was finally able to get more than a few hours of sleep.

After Chris had thoroughly brushed his teeth and scrubbed the toilet bowl, he stumbled back to his bedroom and checked his phone.

It was 4am and a text from Ashley flashed impatiently on his screen, apparently, he wasn't the only one with nightmares.

**Ash:**

_u awake?_

Chris settled himself down on his bed and typed a hurried reply, his eyes struggling to adjust to the harsh light of the screen.

**Chris:**

_Yeah, what's wrong?_

It took about a minute for her to reply.

**Ash:**

cant _sleep. figured_ u'd _be up since u always r._

**Chris:**

_Sleep is for the weak._

**Ashely:**

_lol, we should do smthing soon. im going crazy sitting in this house_

**Chris:**

_Let me know what you have in mind when it comes to mind. I'll be there._

**Ash:**

_:) night chris_

Chris doesn't bother with a goodnight, he places his phone on his nightstand and rolls over. He may as well try to get asleep.

He closes his eyes and attempts to lull himself into sleep, but jolts them open when he hears a scratching sound from down the hall. 

Immediately Chris's hand flies to the night table. He grabs his phone and the closest thing he has to an assault weapon hidden in one of the drawers; a pocket knife.

He slowly climbs out of bed, turning on his phone's flashlight and tiptoeing out of the room to see the source of the scratching. He begins to become more panicked as he makes his way down the hall. Everything in him screaming and telling him to turn back, telling him to hold still or he'll die. 

He rounds the corner and looks down at the source of the scratching. He wants to punch himself in the gut for being so stupid.

His cat, Fluffy, is digging at her scratching board. Her back was to him, but she perked her head in interest when Chris called her name. 

After that Chris decided that sleeping wasn't happening. So he settled on his couch, Fluffy curled beside him purring and pawing at his leg as they watched some cheesy kids cartoon, the only thing that wouldn't freak Chris out.

-

* * *

Chris hates living alone. He hates coming home to quiet every day but he supposes it's better this way because sounds only manage to freak him out.

He was always fine with crowds and loud TV shows before the mountain, hell, now he couldn't even play a video game without it being muted because every sound sketched him out.

He couldn't play horror games, or watch horror movies, or read horror books. He couldn't go shopping at a popular place, he couldn't visit the farmers market to pick up whatever hippie shit he used to eat. 

Chris figured out that shopping at night helps, the local grocery store was open until 3Am every night, so Chris made it a habit to go shopping for food every Wednesday night at 1am.

Who shops on a Wednesday anyway?

He dresses in a pair of sweats and a rumpled old hoodie, it's Josh and it still kind of smells like him, no matter how many times Chris washes it the scent of cigarettes lingers.

Chris leaves the apartment building with the hood pulled up, he doesn't want to talk to anyone if they're out and about, and he hopes if they are they'll get the point. 

He begins to approach Mike's place, he almost forgot that he and Mike shared an apartment building.

After the trip, they didn't talk much, but sometimes Chris would walk by and they'd exchange friendly hello's, Mike even came over once asking Chris if he'd make him food because every time he'd look at a knife he'd be plagued with memories of the bear trap. 

Apparently, Mike had the idea of going out too, because just as Chris approaches, the door swings open and a tired and dishelved Mike lumbers out. He turns his brown gaze to Chris and his face lights up with a forced smile.

"Hey dude, where you off to?" 

Chris shrugs "The store. I need groceries." 

Mike nods and then his eyes flicker up to meet Chris's "Me too."

"Wanna ride?" Chris offers, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket and smiling when Mike says sure.

The two walk down to Chris's car. It was dark and chilly out tonight and Chris suddenly regrets not tossing on a few extra layers, or bringing his pocket knife.

"Dude, are you okay? You're acting super skittery." Mike suddenly pipes up, he places a warm and comforting hand on Chris shoulder, who jumps in turn. Mikes hand lingers a little longer than necessary but Chris can't find it in him to care.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just get super nervous in the dark. Some form of PTSD I guess. I don't like loud sounds either."

Mike lets his hand fall away, it was his good hand.

Chris turns to look at him and finds Mike is smiling at him sadly.

"I guess we're all fucked up. I can't touch knives and I bought a nightlight for every room in my house." 

Chris offers him a sympathetic smile as he turns to walk away from his friend and climb into his car. 

When Mike follows suit Chris starts the ignition and looks at him.

"It could be worse," Chris admits "We could be dead." 

Mike shrugs "Sometimes I'd prefer to be," He says honestly "Then I wouldn't have to live in a constant state of paranoia."

Chris swallows, some part of him agrees with Mike which he knows is wrong. He backs out of the parking lot and begins the short drive to the grocery store.

"Have you been talking to anyone lately? Like our friends?" Mike asks, he was tapping his fingers on the window rest, Chris dully noted that that was his bad hand.

"Not really. I talk to Ashley like 3 times a week and Sam texts once in a blue moon. I haven't talked to them since.. Since the mountain." He admits gripping the wheel nervously. "Have you?" 

Mike shrugs "Kinda. Jess and I broke it off because she had a thing for Matt, and Emily refuses to talk to me after I almost shot her. I talk to Matt sometimes, we go out for a drink once in a while. Sam and I talk a lot though. She stops by and visits. If she knew you lived there she'd say hi to you too. Ashley and I were never close so we don't talk."

Chris nods "Yeah, I should probably tell Sam where I live. She's good company." He smiles softly at the thought of them hanging out as teens and her confessing that she was asexual. He remembers hugging her and telling her that it wasn't a big deal and that she was his friend no matter what. She'd done the same to him when he came out as bisexual to her that same night.

They get to the grocery store shortly after that. Mike and Chris split and agree to meet out by the car when the other one was done.

Chris grabbed stuff he could afford, his job at the pet store didn't pay that well, but it kept a roof over his head and food on his plate so that's all that mattered.

When he came back outside Mike was already there, puffing on a half burnt out cigarette, two bags in his good hand.

"Were you waiting long?" Chris asked as he threw his bags in the back seat. Mike chose to take his up front with him. 

"Nah. Two minutes or so." Mike shrugged as he buckled himself in. He still had the cigarette in his mouth, it reminded him of Josh and Chris momentarily wondered if Josh was the one who got Mike into that habit.

"Usually I don't let people smoke in my car." Chris snorts as they leave.

Mike rolls his eyes and grins as he purposely takes a long drag and makes a point to blow it in Chris's direction.

"Hey! No distracting the driver" Chris laughed and threw a half-assed punch in Mike's direction. Missing miserably. 

They do the rest of the drive in relative silence. Mike saying goodbye as Chris bends over to grab his groceries from the back seat. Chris pretends not to feel his eyes on him. 

When Chris climbs the stairs he finds Mike staring at his apartment door, his hand on the knob but a thoughtful expression riddling his face.

Mike suddenly turned to face him "Chris, stay over at my place tonight."

"Why?" Chris asks Mike had never invited him over in all of their years.

"I don't want to be alone" Mike admits sadly and earns a nod from Chris.

"I'll be back over in 20, gotta drop my shit off and put it away" Chris lifts the bags a little to emphasize his point. Mike waves him off and tells him to hurry, and that the door will be open. Chris turns and makes his way back to his apartment. 

He puts all his groceries away, feeds Fluffy and grabs a spare shirt from his drawer and then makes his way out the door.

Chris decides not to knock since Mike knows he's coming. Inside Mike is on the couch spaced out into some lame sitcom 

"Dude, you invite me over to watch sitcoms?" Chris laughs as he makes his way over.

"Always. That's how I pick up chicks" Mike doesn't turn to him, apparently, the show was important to him

"Keep dreaming," Chris says as he sits next to Mike.

"You should get a pet," Chris says after a moment of silence.

"Why?" Mike turns to him and scrunches up his nose in confusion.

"When we got back I went to the pound and adopted a cat. Made my apartment less lonely and she's great for therapy." He shrugs "She makes me feel like I'm not alone all the time."

Mike smiled fondly at him "Never took you for a cat person."

"Me either," Chris laughs. "But we're not allowed to have dogs here and there's no way in hell I'm having a creepy ass lizard or rodent running around my house, they stink." 

Mike laughs "I'll keep the pet thing in mind." His eyes unfocus and his smile fades away into a frown.

"I have a pet already" He mummers. 

"Where?" Chris asks craning his neck to look around "You could have just told me in the first place I-"

"He's not here," Mike said his voice clipped and unsure.

"Where is he?" Chris asks raising an eyebrow. Mike had never said anything about a pet.

Mike shook his head "It doesn't matter." He turned back to the show leaving the two in a momentary awkward silence.

"Wanna put on a movie?" Mike asks

"Sure." Chris agrees because he's tired and wants to go to sleep so he doesn't really care. 

Chris doesn't even see what movie Mike puts on before he's out. 

He opens his eyes to see nothing but black, all around him. Suddenly a low clicking sound starts behind him. Chris swallows and whips his head around as an all too familiar bird-like screech rings in his ears.

He expects to see an ugly, white, and bony creature standing there, but instead, it's Josh. He's wearing the same thing he wore that night. The overalls are covered in blood and the pant legs are tattered. When Chris lifts his gaze back up, Josh smirks wickedly at him. The right corner of his mouth starts to bleed and an ugly gash opens up to reveal many sharp and gnarled teeth, glistening with saliva. One of Josh's eyes roll back and turn a horrible shade of milky white. His skin looks incredibly pale now, veins clearly visible on his neck.

"Why didn't you save me, Chris" Josh suddenly pleaded, it didn't sound like Josh. It sounded ugly and evil "We're supposed to be bros! You promised me you would be there for me" The creature, Josh, hissed as it took a few purposeful steps forward.

"I-I'm sorry! I tried to save you but we were too late" Chris cried backing up as the monster began to inch it's way closer.

"Liar! You never cared and you left me to die." Josh screeched and he snapped a clawed hand out to grab at Chris's shirt, pulling him forward. until their noses almost touched.

"You left me to  _rot_ " Josh spat and he threw Chris to the ground. 

"You're a coward!" Josh spoke but it wasn't Josh's voice. It was Chris's, a repeat of what he'd said to Josh in the shed.

"I'm sorry." Chris was crying and he feebly raised an arm up to protect himself.

Josh launched forward and sunk his teeth into Chris's throat.

Chris jolted up, he was covered in a cold sweat and he was crying. 

The quick movement woke Mike who snapped his head in Chris's direction. 

"Woah!" His voice was gravely with sleep "You okay, dude?" Mike leaned forward and placed a hand on Chris's knee. 

"I need to go back to the mountain" Chris finally said when his breathing had calmed.

"What, why?" Mike asks jerking his hand away from Chris as if he'd been burned.

"Josh. I need to find him. It's my fault he's dead, I Couldn't get there quick enough to save him, Mike I need to find his body." Chris cried, not caring that Mike would probably laugh about Chris being weak later. 

Mike looked like he was far from laughing. His face was twisted up in sympathy and worry.

"It's my fault" Mike murmured "I'm the one who left him alone" 

Chris shook his head "No, Mike-"

"Which is why I'll come with you."

Chris's jaw dropped, and it took him a minute to find his words. "What?" 

"I'm coming. The wendigos are dead, and we can't leave Josh to rot. Plus, I left my pet there." Mike shrugged.

Chris swallowed and nodded

"Thank you."

**Author's Note:**

> Fluffy is a White Persian and i love her omg  
> also i wanted to make it clear that Chris pays close attention to Mikes hands. He's incredibly aware that Mike came out the most scarred considering he's missing limbs and he feels bad for him everytime he sees the hand. dunno just thought itd be a cool small detail


End file.
